I am writing in behalf of myself, a concerned citizen.  The new regulations proposed for womens health facilities will not only hurt the very people they help but may well put them out of business, which I am sure is not your intent.  These regulations jeopardize the availability of safe, legal first-trimester abortions and preventative health care in our area.  I myself have never had an abortion, nor will I ever because personally I am opposed to it as a form of birth control, but I am pro-choice because that is not my choice to make for anyone else.  We need these options available.

These regulations will increase the financial strain to patients, who are already facing dire straights as it is, with no proven medical benefit to the patient.  Women need more access to high quality affordable health care, not less.  I've seen what happens to young women who don't have access to preventative health care, they get trapped in a cycle of welfare, then we call them lazy, good for nothing and they start to believe it.  No young woman wants that, society does not want that.  We can't go back to the days when this was all hidden away, we are in the century NOW! We need to behave like rational adults and help those that are less able through education not humiliation.

Medically inappropriate and unnecessarily burdensome regulations would restrict access to essential health care services for the women of Virginia and further marginalize young, low-income, uninsured and minority women by decreasing their health care options.  This in turn will increase the instance of unintended pregnancy and the birth of unintended children which will then become a drain on our already strained economic welfare and medicare system, I know this is not the intent you wish either.

The high standard of care provided by these health care centers is proven by their impressive safety records.  Overregulation will limit access to a wide range of preventative health care services provided by women's health clinics, including life saving caner screenings, family planning, sexually transmitted diease orevention and testing.

It is my hope that these regulations will be amended to be based purely on medicine and science and should not impede women's access to health care.

Sincerely, 

Heather Van Siclen